The Wisconsin Labor History Society is dedicated to preserving and telling the stories of workers and unions in Wisconsin.

34th Annual Conference looks to history to strengthen unions

The 34th Annual Conference of the Wisconsin Labor History Society looks to finding clues in worker history to discover strategies to strengthen unions.

Entitled “Building Worker Power in an Era of Anti-Union Assaults: Looking Back, Looking Forward,” the conference will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, April 11, at the Madison Labor Temple, 1602 S. Park St., Madison.

Much of the conference will be focused on recent efforts to weaken unions, such as Wisconsin’s Act 10 that took away most collective bargaining rights of public employees and current efforts to pass open shop laws in the state (often erroneously referred to as “right-to-work” legislation). For more information and registration form, click here.

129th Anniversary commemoration of Bay View Tragedy set May 3

The 129th anniversary commemoration of the Bay View Tragedy will be held on the first Sunday of May, honoring the seven who were killed by the state militia while marching on behalf of the eight-hour day campaign on May 5, 1886, outside the Bay View Rolling Mills.

The event will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 3, on the site of the State Historical Marker for the Bay View Rolling Mills, S. Superior St. and E. Russell Ave., Milwaukee.

The event, which has been celebrated annually on the first Sunday of May for the last 28 years, attracts 300 or more persons each year. It is held outdoors in front of the marker and is free.

Short speeches on the significance of the 1886 event to today’s issues will be featured along with music and a re-enactment of the 1886 event by the Milwaukee Public Theatre and the Milwaukee Mask and Puppet Theatre.

The Wisconsin Labor History Society is lead sponsor of the event, which is planned by a committee that includes representative of the Bay View Historical Society, residents of the Bay View area, union leaders and others.

For information, contact Ken Germanson, President Emeritus of the Wisconsin Labor History Society, by email at info@wisconsinlaborhistory.org or by phone at 414-687-6954. Click for more background on Bay View Tragedy.

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Renew Membership NOW for 2015!

NOW you may renew your membership in the Wisconsin Labor History Society online through PayPal. It’s quick and it’s secure. CLICK HERE

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Triangle Shirtwaist Fire links . . .

Here is the link to the essay written by a Durand High School sophomore, Makena Easker, and the Appendix and Bibliography that accompanied the story. Click here to view.

The longest strike in U.S. history – UAW Local 833 vs. Kohler Co – began in the company town of Kohler, Wisconsin, with massive picket lines on April 5, 1954 and did not end until a settlement in 1966.

The strike may have been one of the most important in our nation’s history and offers insights into how to rebuild labor’s power in the current era, according to speakers at the 33rd Annual Conference of the Wisconsin Labor History Society held May 17 at the Emil Mazey Hall in Sheboygan. The conference covered three decades of labor struggles at the plant, including the first strike for recognition that lasted from 1934 to 1941.

Several Local 833 retirees who walked the picket lines in the 1954 strike spoke at the conference, describing how worker solidarity sustained them through the long struggle and how various strategies helped to win near total victory. Read more . . .

More than 300 persons attended the 128th Anniversary Commemoration of the Bay View Tragedy on May 4th to honor the seven who were killed by the militia while marching on behalf of the eight-hour day campaign on May 5, 1886, outside the Bay View Rolling Mills.

In a short, but stirring speech, Wisconsin State AFL-CIO President Phil Neuenfeldt declared “the courage and sacrifice of these workers and victims of the Bay View Massacre lives on.” The crowd was further stirred on the sunny day with songs from longtime folksinger Larry Penn and the Solidarity Singers of Madison. Amateur actors assisting professionals staged a re-enactment of the 1886 event that was created and led by the Milwaukee Public Theatre and the Milwaukee Mask and Puppet Theatre.

The event was held on the site of the State Historical Mark for the Bay View Rolling Mills, S. Superior St. and E. Russell Ave., Milwaukee. Read more . . .

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Wisconsin Labor History in Slides

A quick look at labor history in Wisconsin may be seen by viewing the slides presented at the 2014 Wisconsin State AFL-CIO Community Services Conference in Madison on March 21. Click on “Wis Labor History Slides.” You may download it and show it at meetings and other opportunities.

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BECOME A MEMBER IN PRESERVING LABOR HISTORY!

A message from President Steve Cupery:

If you are not now a member, please join to support our work of providing students, teachers and the public with valuable information, curricular materials, education and research opportunities concerning Wisconsin labor history. Become a member of the Wisconsin Labor History Society.

We have made it convenient to join:

First, we have a membership application form at our website that you may print out, fill in the blanks and mail back. Click here for form.

Secondly, you may use your credit or debit card (or PayPal) to pay your membership. Click here for instructions.

We can’t overstate the value that your membership provides to our organization. As you know we are a completely volunteer organization, but it takes money to continue to carry on our work of preserving the history of workers and their unions in Wisconsin and to promote the study of that history in our schools. All of our activities exist solely because of support from our members, whether they be individuals or local unions, labor councils or other organizations.

During this critical time facing our labor movement, we are confident that the telling of labor’s story to the public, particularly to our schoolchildren, is more important than ever.